Formulary Watch

After a death and a hospitalized patient, FDA is cautioning that differences in dosing regimens between the 2 oral formulations of Merck’s antifungal drug Noxafil (posaconazole) have resulted in dosing errors.

Gilead Sciences, which already makes the leading hepatitis C drugs Harvoni and Sovaldi, recently received priority review from FDA for a new Hepatitis C combination drug.

Amicable resolution between FDA and Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which reaffirms the broad indication for Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension).

Hospital pharmacies need to check their supplies of norepinephrine after PharMEDium Services in Lake Forest, Ill., voluntarily recalled several lots of Norepinephrine Bitartrate. The product is used to control blood pressure in certain acute hypotensive states.

In late December, FDA approved AstraZeneca’s Zurampic (lesinurad) 200-mg tablets in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI) for high levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) associated with gout.

FDA approved expanded age indication for Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant (Gardasil 9, Merck) in males.

The FDA recently granted orphan drug approval to Uptravi (selexipag) tablets to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a chronic, progressive, and debilitating rare lung disease that can lead to death or the need for transplantation.

In the latest controversy over drug pricing, an organization said that the price of GlaxoSmithKline’s Nucala (mepolizumab), an injectable indicated for severe asthma patients with eosinophilic inflammation, is far over-priced.

Sales of Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) are expected to increase, after FDA approved the drug for first-line treatment of melanoma.

Pete Mulliner, an IPF patient and ambassador for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, discusses how he believes physicians should treat patients who have been recently diagnosed with IPF.

FDA approved Bridion (sugammadex) injection today – after a long wait by Merck & Co. – to reverse the effects of neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium bromide and vecuronium bromide, used during certain types of surgery.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals just entered into a new fulfillment agreement with Walgreens and says it will reduce prices of its branded prescription-based dermatological and ophthalmological products such as Jublia by 10 percent.

FDA granted accelerated approval to Alecensa (alectinib) for the treatment of people with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib.

Hospital stays were shorter for patients treated with Xarelto (rivaroxaban) in a new study, compared to those receiving standard anticoagulants.

Wellstat Therapeutics Corporation said that its Vistogard, just approved by FDA as the first and only antidote for emergency treatment of adult and pediatric patients following an overdose of the chemotherapy, will be available on the U.S. market soon.

Boehringer Ingelheim recently began a clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of adding on pirfenidone to Ofev (nintedanib) for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients.

FDA is warning about ketoacidosis and urinary tract infections associated with the relatively new class of type 2 diabetes medicines called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors such as Invokana and Jardiance.

FDA has approved recombinant von Willebrand factor (Vonvendi, Baxalta) for use in adults who have von Willebrand disease.

FDA has approved methylphenidate hydrochloride (QuilliChew ER, Pfizer) extended-release chewable tablets for the treatment of ADHD in children.

Genetically engineered chickens were needed to produce Kanuma (sebelipase alfa), newly approved by FDA to treat lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D), a genetic and progressive ultra-rare metabolic disease in which patients suffer multi-organ damage and premature death.

Pharmacists in California and Oregon will soon be able to prescribe birth control.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim’s new five-year partnership, aims to raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, provide disease education and advance care and funding research for the PF community

A new US Congressional report about the price of hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, along with a new class action lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield involving Harvoni coverage, are the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the 2 drugs.

FDA has approved elotuzumab (Empliciti, Bristol-Myers Squibb and AbbVie) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

A study published in the October 26th issue of the JAMA Internal Medicine journal shows that physicians don't typically reduce older patients' diabetic medications, even when the patients have low blood sugar levels.

A new joint program with the Mount Sinai Health System and Livongo Health, a consumer digital health company, is expected to help diabetics manage their disease better.

In its latest round of cancer drug approvals, the FDA last week approved Portrazza (necitumumab) in combination with two forms of chemotherapy to treat patients with advanced (metastatic) squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).